Electric regulation



J. L. GREVELING,

ELECTRIC REGULATION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1916. RENEWED APR. 11.1922.

1,420,820. PatentedJune 27,1922.

' I INVENTOR;

mm sures mm OFFICE.

:rozmt caav'n'nmc, or warm was, saw roax, assrcnon. To GOULD courmn ooMPA Y, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC REGU L A TION.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented June 27,1922.

Application filed November 1, 1916, Serial No. 128,822. Renewed April 17, 1922. Serial m. 553,923.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I. Jonx L. CR'nvELING, a citizen of the United States, residing in lVhite Plains. county of \Vestchester, and

.State of New. York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Regulation, of which the following is adescription. f I

My invention pertains to that class of electric regulation wherein it is desired to regulate an electric function in a predetermined manner, and has for a particular object to provide means whereby said regulation will be automatically accomplished.

This application is a continuation, in so far as common subject-matter is disclosed,

of my application for patent for improve merits in electric regulation, Serial No] 7:-L,()T0, filed January 25, 1916.

In the drawing, Fig. I is adiagrammatic represehtation of onet-ype of electrical system embodying my invention; and

Fig. II illustrates a modification which maybe made in the general system portrayed in Fig. I without departing from my in-' vention.

In Fig. I, 1 represents a dynamo or generator, the positive terminal of which is connected as by lead 2 with the positive terminals of the storage battery 3 and lamps or other translating devices indicated at 1. The negative terminals of the translating devices and the storage battery are connect ed as by lead with one side of any suitable switch (5. the opposite terminal of which isconnectedas by-wire 7 with one end of-the winding or solenoid S, the oppositeendof which is connected as by lead 9 with the negative terminal of the generator. generator is provided with any suitable exciting means. in this instance indicated as the usual shunt coil 10. having in series therewith a regulating element 11 indicated as a carbon pile. It will therefore be obvious that the generator may be regulated 'by proper manipulation of the pressure applied to thepile 11, which will control the resistance thereof. A pivot 12 carries a bell-crank lever comprising the short arm 13 and the long arm 14, while the pivot 15 carries a The clearness', between the levers'13 and 16, and therefore the pressure upon the pile 11 may .be increased by swinging the levers 14 and 13 and 16 and tending to draw the same together. The tension of the spring 23 may be adjusted as by nuts 24. The outer extremity of leverl t' is provided with the sheave 25 adapted to be engaged by the core 27 when the same is sufficiently raised, while theouter extremity of the lever 17 is provided with the pivotal connection 26 carrying the core 28L The cores 27 andQS may be held of their positions in proper alignment by any suitable means, and are preferably provided with dashpots 29 which restrain too sudden movement of the'said cores. The core 28 is surroundedby the coil 8 in such manner that energization of the said coil tends to lift the core. The core 27 is surrounded by the coil 30 which is shown in shunt across the generator and which when energized tends tolift the core 27. coil 8' may be adjusted as by means of the variable shunt 31, while theoperation of the coil 30 may be adjusted as by means of the varialil'e. resistance 32. i r

In Fig: II like numerals are used to indi cate like parts, and the only modification intended to be brought out by the use of this figure is the coil 33 which may be usedin place of coil 8 of Fig. I, in which event the coil aiiecting the core 2 8will be responsive to current in the battery circuit only, while the coil 8 of Fig. I is responslve to the total generator output.

which is diagrammatically indicated, is preferablybne "of the automatic variety, closing its circuit when generator voltage is substantially equal vto that of'the storage battery. and opening'the circuit when the generatonvolta-ge falls very slightly below The operationof the I The main switch 6, the mere'presence of that of the battery so as to prevent back discharge from the battery through the generator. As such switches are well known in the art, details are purposely omitted for the sake of brevity.

An operation of my invention is substantially as follows, referring particularly to Fig. I:

If the generator 1 be at rest or running at sufficiently low speed, its voltage will be below that of the storage battery 3 and switch 6 will be open and the translating devices 4 may be supplied by the battery 3 in a well known manner. If the generator have its speed brought up until 1ts voltage is slightly in excess of that of the battery, switch 6 will close and current will then flow from the generator to the battery and translating devices, returning to the generator through coil 8, and thereby causing the same to tend to raise the core 28. And I so ad just the tension of spring 19. spring 23 and adjustable shunt 31. or whatever 1nstrumentalities may be employed for the purpose of adjustment, that when the current supplied by the generator, which of course will tend to increase with an increase in speed, reaches a predetermined maximum, for example the maximum current desired to have delivered by the generator. this output will. by raising core 28 and swinging lever 17 in an upward direction. swing the lever 16 in a direction away from the pile 11 so as to decrease. the pressure thereupon and cut down the generator field and prevent this maximum desired current from being exceeded. Throughout this operation, lever 14 will rest upon its stop 2(), and lever 13 will form an abutment for the opposite end of the pile 11. If for any reason delivery of this maxinuuu current controlled by the coil 3 necessitate the maximum desired voltage upon any part of the system. across which may be connected the coil 30. which in this instance is shown across the generator circuit and therefore practically deter mining its terminal voltage. I so adjust resistancc 312. spring 1H and weight 22. or whichever of such devices may be used. that when 'the generator reaches this maximum desired voltage. coil 30 will raise core 27 and bring the same into contact with the sheave Q5 and then lift lever 14 from its stop 20 and swing the lever 13 in a direction away from the pile 11 so as to increase the resistance thereof and prevent this desired maximum voltage from being exceeded.

As soon as the voltage coil begins to lower the generator voltage. the current in the coil 8 will begin to fall off and lever 17 will tend to settle down upon its stop 21 and core 28 will tend to assume the position shown in the drawing and lever 16 will serve merely as a stop or abutment against one end of the pile 11, while the entire regulation will be performed by the voltage responsive means so long as the current remains below that limited by the solenoid 8 and its cooperating parts. If the rise in voltage across the system be due to the rise in voltage across the battery terminals, owing to the battery having been fully charged, it is desirable when this point he reached that the battery charging current be quite substantially reduced or terminated, more or less abruptly. so as to save a long tapering charging current which would ordinarilv take place if the maximum desired voltage were held across the battery terminals. as is well understood inthe art. And it will be noted that when the current regulating means is operative and level-l6 is swung away from the pile, the tension of spring 23 upon lever 13 is somewhat increased by the motion of lever 16. "Therefore. when the voltage responsive means usurps the function of the current responsive means. it first moves the lever 13 and its cooperating parts against a. slightly increased pull of the spring 23. which is re lieved as soon as core 28 and lever 17 de-- scend. And. therefore. the voltageresponsive means operates against a slightly lower opposition than when it started-to usurp the function of regulation, and now holds'a slightly lower voltage upon the system than that necessary .to bring it into action.- And this slight difference in voltage will cause the charging current to fall off quite rapidly and approach zero. as may readily be de termined by adjusting the parts in a man-' ner which will be plain to one skilled in the art.

It will be noted that by having the core 27 normally detached and out of contact with its sheave .25, carried by arm 14, a considerable fluctuation in voltage may take place wlthout in any way affecting the regulating apparatus so long as the magnetomotive force of coil 30 is insuflicient to raise core 27; and after the core is brought'into coope ation with its respective lever. adjustment of the spring or weight or both. or whatever means may be employed, may then determine to a nicety the exact voltage necessaryto operate the regulator.

The operation of that modification intended to be brought out by use of Fig. II. is substantially the same as the op rationabove with respect to Fig. I. with the exception that it is the current in the battery charging circuit that is limited through the instrumentality of the current responsive-means,"including coil 33 instead of coil 8 of Fig.1. and, therefore. thebattery chargingcurrent will be limited. instead of the total generator output: and in such an arrangement it is obvious that the battery charging current may be made to r'all off even more rapidlv when the voltage responsive means usurps thefunction of regulation than in the system ammo a of Fig I when the translating devices are in circuit.

From the foregoing it will be noted that my invention produces a system wherein the current delivered by the generator to a particular circuit, as for example the main circuit or the batter circuit, may be held from exceeding a pre etermined desirable limit, and wherein the voltage across a circuit, as for example across the generator terminals or the battery terminals, may be held from exceeding a predetermined limit, and that whenever the voltage responsive means usurps the function of the current responsive means, causing the same to go out of action,

a the voltage responsive means will, due to an effect of its own operation, react upon the system in such manner that the charging current will, in an adjustable degree, be abruptly decreased or terminated.

I do not wish in any way to limit myself to any of the exact constructions or details of operation given above toillustrate one embodiment of my invention, for it will be obvious that wide departure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof which is set forth in the following claims.

Vhat I claim is 1' 1. The combination with regulating means, a plurality of means for affecting the same and current responsive means connected with one of said affecting means whereby any motion therein affects the regulating means,

of voltage responsive means capable of moving without affecting the regulating means and also capable of engaging another of the affecting means to operate the regulating means, and means cooperating with the affectin means whereby the operation of one of said means affects the operation of another of said means.

2. The combination with regulating means, a plurality of means for affecting the same and current responsive means connected with one of said affecting means whereby any motion therein affects the regulating means, of voltage responsive means capable of moving without affecting the regulating means and also capable of engaging the affecting means to operate the regulating means, and means uniting the affecting means whereby the operation of one of said means affects the operation of another of said means.

3. The combination with regulating means, a plurality of means for affecting the same and current responsive means connected with one of said affecting means whereby any motion therein affects the regulating means, of voltage responsive means capable of moving without affecting the regulating means and also capable of engaging the affecting means to operate the regulatin means, and means adj ustably uniting the affecting means whereby the operation of one of said means affects the o eration of another of said means.

4. The combination with regulating means, a plurality of means for affecting the same and current responsive means connected with one of said affecting means whereby any motion therein affects the regulating means, of

voltageres onsive means capable of moving without a ecting theregulating means and also capable of engaging the affecting means to operate the regulating means, and means resiliently uniting the affecting means whereby the operation of one of said means affects the operation of another of said means.

5. The combination with a generator, regulating means aflecting the operation thereof, means for affecting the regulating means comprehending movable means affecting the same whenever moved and responsive to current fluctuations, and voltage responsive means capable of movement without affecting the regulating means and adapted to engage an affecting means to regulate the generator, and means whereby the affecting means cooperate, of means for separately adjusting the operation of the affecting means, and means for mutually adjusting the relationship between the affecting means.

6. The combination with regulating means, a plurality of separately movable means for affecting the same and current responsive means connected with one of said affecting means whereby any motion therein affects the regulating means, of voltage responsive means capable of moving without affecting 0 the regulating means and arranged to engage another of the affecting means to operate the regulatin means.

JO N L. CREVELING. 

